There's a smell coming in the air, and it's not smog or smoke.

It smells more like barbeque, fall air and pigskin. That's because high school football is getting closer and closer. The latest sign? Our high school football previews are finishing up with the Southern Section, wrapping up with the newly independent Mojave Mustangs, and speeding into the Central Section with struggling McFarland.

MOJAVE MUSTANGS

Coach: Larry Satterfield (17th year)

2007 record: 3-8 (2-3 High Desert, 2-3 home)
Average points: 18.4
Average points allowed: 27.7
Average rush yards: 185.2
Average rush yards allowed: 244.4
Average pass yards: 91.0
Average pass yards allowed: 115.2
Best win: Mojave 14, Pasadena-Marantha 3
Worst loss: Kern Valley 40, Mojave 9

Key players: Garland Smith, sr, RB/LB; Bryan Cantalupo, sr, OL/DL; Quintel Madlock, sr, WR/DB/KR

Key losses: Coty Madrona, RB; James Brown, DB; Amani Clemons, WR; Michael Carder, QB

Outlook: Mojave will be getting smaller and smaller each year, thanks to the new high school in California City, which is growing by a class each year (this year it will house freshmen and sophomores). Without that enrollment, the Mustangs won't be able to compete in the High Desert League, so they've said sayonara. As an independent, Mojave still will have a slim chance at qualifying for the postseason (next year, Mojave will enter the Desert Mountain League, joining Boron, Mammoth, et al.) For this season, a lot might depend on Garland Smith, a hard-nosed player who will shift from tight end to running back, and on Madlock, a gifted athlete who returned two kicks for touchdowns last year. Then again, no one knows for sure. Satterfield filled out Mojave's freelance with some teams he knows very little about. Mojave has been to the playoffs eight of the past 10 seasons, but I wouldn't count on it again without a league for support.

McFARLAND COUGARS

Coach: Andy Dunn (first year)

2007 record: 2-8 (0-5 Southwest Sierra, 2-3 home)
Average points: 11.2
Average points allowed: 34.7
Average rush yards: 214.6
Average rush yards allowed: 248.6
Average pass yards: 72.4
Average pass yards allowed: 83.4
Best win: McFarland 22, Kern Valley 14
Worst loss: Farmersville 24, McFarland 22

Key players: Stevie Robinson, sr, RB/DB; Michael Tafoya, sr, RB/DB; Sammy Padilla, sr, OL/DL

Key losses: Jose Santa Cruz, FB/DL; Martin Jiminez, RB/DL; Christopher Bowman, RB/TE; Pedro Rodriguez, QB/DB; Eliseo Garza, OL/LB

Outlook: For a program that seems to be constantly fighting to keep its head above water — Gary Pierson was 4-16 in two years there as the head coach after being an assistant for 26 years — there are some signs of hope. First of all, the three guys listed above give the Cougars a solid nucleus with which to run the ball — Robinson and Tafoya being protected by Padilla. Then there's the matter of the league. McFarland left the West Sierra League (formerly the Southwest Sequoia League, but call it whatever you want, really), stacked with the likes of Fowler, Caruthers and Fresno Christian, for the greener pastures of the East Sierra League, where the top dogs (maybe Orange Cove and Laton?) aren't nearly as scary. That said, this team was a long way from contention last year and I wouldn't expect miracles overnight.

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley

TOMORROW: Cesar Chavez